General Scott eBook

The first night on which the Caroline began her voyages
the British fitted out an expedition to capture her.
Instead of making a descent on Navy Island within
British territory, they boarded the steamer at Schlosser,
on the American side, and thus violated our territory.
The boat at the time of this invasion was filled with
people, many of whom were there for idle curiosity,
including a number of boys. In the melee
of capture one American citizen was killed and several
others wounded. They cut the boat from its moorings,
set it on fire, and it drifted down the cataract.
It was reported and generally believed that when the
vessel went over the cataract it had a small number
of wounded Americans on board.

The publication of this affair created the greatest
excitement from one end of the country to the other.
This occurred on December 29, 1837, but the news did
not reach Washington until January 4th. On the
evening of that day General Scott was to dine with
President Van Buren and a number of other distinguished
gentlemen. The entire party had arrived, but
the President failed to appear. After a time he
came in and spoke inaudibly to Henry Clay, one of
the guests, and then said to General Scott: “Blood
has been shed; you must go with all speed to the Niagara
frontier. The Secretary of War is now engaged
in making out your instructions.” General
Scott left at once, and passing through Albany, met
William L. Marcy, the Governor of New York, who with
his adjutant general (McDonald) accompanied him to
the scene of the troubles. The United States
troops at this time were all either in Florida or
on the Western frontiers. General Scott, in passing
through New York, had ordered some small detachments
of army recruits to follow him. Governor Marcy
was with him ready to answer his requisitions for
militia, and he had the aid of the officers commanding
on Lake Erie and the Detroit frontier and on the Niagara,
Lake Ontario, and St. Lawrence. All United States
marshals and other civil officers of the Government
were ordered to support and aid him. He passed
from one place to another, going where his services
could be needed, exhorting the people to observe the
neutrality proclamation of the President; and where
he found them obstinate and determined, he notified
them in terms which could not be mistaken that any
attempt to violate this proclamation would be met
by resistance from the Government, which would promptly
overpower them.

Pending these troubles, a steamer called the Barcelona
was taken from the harbor of Buffalo in January, 1838,
and passed down the river, with a view to aid the
insurgents on Navy Island. Scott, on learning
of this, sent an agent who made terms to employ the
Barcelona for the service of the Government.
The vessel then proceeded back to Buffalo, where it
was intended to use her on Lake Erie; but the Canadian
authorities had determined to destroy her. As
the vessel passed near Grand Island, within the jurisdiction
of the United States, some armed British schooners
had taken position, aided by land batteries, to open
fire on her. This was on January 16th. General
Scott and Governor Marcy stood on the river bank watching
events. Batteries on the American side were put
in preparation to return the fire of the British.